Michelin has become the first tyre brand in the passenger vehicle segment in India to be accredited with the newly introduced star labelling program by the Government of India. The company said in a statement that Michelin Latitude Sport 3 and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres receiving 5 Star rating is a real endorsement of its commitment to offering the best of global sustainable technology and state-of-the-art products to its Indian customers. Recently, Michelin became the first brand in India to receive 4 Star rating by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for its made in India commercial vehicle tyre Michelin X Multi Energy Z. 

Manish Pandey, Commercial Director B2C for India Region said, “At Michelin, we believe that for mobility to have a future, it will have to be increasingly eco-friendly, efficient, safe and accessible. After receiving the first 4-Star label for our commercial vehicle tyre recently, we are thrilled to be recognised once again with India’s first 5 Star rating for two of our most popular passenger car tyre-lines in India. For our brand, this first 5 Star rating will add greater confidence among our customers, where they will be better placed to select tyres that are fuel-efficient, safe and contribute to decreasing carbon footprint in the country. We are dedicated to offering our Indian customers the most advanced technology best tailored to keep them safe, comfortable, and efficient on Indian roads.” 

The government of India continues to make consistent efforts towards infrastructure development, with the pace of national highway (NH) construction in the country touching a record 37 km per day in 2020-21. To make these roads safer and drives more efficient, comfortable, and confident, the tyre industry has played a crucial role, with consistent efforts towards creating a more innovative contribution to the industry. As part of an ambitious road map by the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for a smooth transition towards green mobility, a final notification was published in 2021, proposing that the tyres of cars, buses, and trucks meet requirements of rolling resistance and wet grip as specified in BEE Schedule 30 based on Stage-I of the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS). Under this process, Michelin India is one of the first brands to register for both commercial vehicle as well as passenger car segment and was subsequently awarded India's first 5 Star rating for Michelin Latitude Sport 3 and Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres. 

The new regulations will demand that all tyres sold in India meet crucial performance and safety standards such as rolling resistance and wet grip. When this regulation becomes mandatory, all domestic and foreign manufacturer and importers of truck, bus and passenger car tyres will be required to attribute BEE star label to tyres sold in India. 

Michelin Latitude Sport 3 is the third generation of Latitude on-road SUV tyres from Michelin’s global line-up. 

The tyres are uniquely designed to offer the best in the segment, driving
experience, better performance in terms of fuel consumption and an outstanding grip on all types of terrains. It provides better road grip on wet roads with minimal roll resistance, adding to better fuel efficiency. The tyre's exceptional design offers a high level of comfort and maximum torque transfer while braking or accelerating, thus improving steering precision, the release said. 

Michelin said its Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyre is a high-performance, premium SUV tyre developed to deliver unlimited driving pleasure, excellent longevity, impressive braking performance, and dynamic handling. 

AIS conducts star labelling test on tyres on various aspects, such as testing of rolling resistance coefficient and wet grip index. The rolling resistance coefficient test is done on the rolling ratio to the tyre's load. In contrast, the wet grip Index test is done on parameters of the ratio between performance of the candidate tyre and the performance of the standard reference test tyre. Each test must meet the minimum threshold for each star rating band. 5 Star category has a lower limit of 0 kg/tonne and an upper limit of 8 kg/tonne. 

A 5 Star product, on average, consumes up to 9.5 per cent less fuel when compared to any other lower star-rated tyre, co-relating to lesser greenhouse gas emissions, a significant cause of global warming. On an average, there would be up to 750 kg less Co2 emissions when you switch to a 5-star product vs a lower-star rated tyre. As the fuel prices across the globe remain volatile, consumer can save a significant amount of money by switching to 5-star rated tyres, the release added. (TT)

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JK Tyre & Industries, one of the leading tyre manufacturers in the country, has announced the appointment of Sylvain Sagot as Director – Quality.

Sagot comes with over three decades of experience in quality assurance, process excellence and operational leadership in the automotive and tyre industry. A French national, he began his career as a Quality Engineer at Michelin Netherlands in 1991.

In 2004, he worked with Renault as a Supplier Development Consultant and went on to grow to the ranks of Supplier Performance Manager for the Renault Nissan Alliance. He also worked with Alstom and Gajah Tunggal, one of the biggest tyre manufacturers in Southeast Asia as QA General Manager & TBR Plant Head in Indonesia for over three years.

Sagot in his last role was the International Truck Trailer Quality & Product Safety Director at Carrier, where he spent over a decade.

JK Tyre & Industries believes that Sagot with deep expertise in supplier development, quality management systems, product safety, and OEM partnerships in large-scale manufacturing environments, will further strengthen its global operations.

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Nynas, with its strong commitment to innovation and product sustainability, recently commissioned an independent study to evaluate the environmental impact of its products across four key application areas: transformer oils, lubricating greases, tyres and bitumen binders. Conducted by Future Earth Analytics, LLC, the research revealed that many Nynas products deliver significant sustainability advantages, often surpassing industry performance benchmarks.

The study highlighted several environmental benefits across different applications. In transformer oils, certain Nynas products improve cooling efficiency and energy transmission, reducing energy losses during operation. For tyres, specific Nynas tyre oils contribute to lower rolling resistance, which helps decrease fuel consumption in vehicles. In lubricating greases, the use of naphthenic base oils reduces reliance on lithium – a resource-intensive material – while also cutting energy consumption during production. Additionally, Nynas’ strategic location near bitumen customers minimises transportation distances, thereby lowering associated emissions.

The findings underscore a substantial environmental impact: had customers opted for alternative products instead of Nynas’ offerings in 2023, an additional 740,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions would have been generated. This saving is equivalent to avoiding the consumption of five million barrels of oil.

To assess these benefits, researchers employed a dual analytical framework combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Net Energy Analysis (NEA). This approach allowed for a detailed comparison of energy savings and emissions reductions across different lifecycle phases, such as cradle-to-gate and use-phase impacts. By focusing on stages where variations occur, the study provided a quantitative evaluation of how choosing Nynas products can lead to measurable energy and emissions savings compared to market alternatives. The results reinforce Nynas’ leadership in delivering sustainable solutions that support a lower-carbon future. 

Marika Rangstedt, Sustainability Manager, said, “The beneficial effects are true not only for our recent circular or renewable products, but also for many of our traditional products. We are leading the way in sustainability and setting new standards for product related environmental responsibility within our industry.”

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Westlake Performance Tyres, a brand of ZC Rubber, has teamed up with German motorsport team Red Bull Driftbrothers as the new official supplier and tyre partner. The company will supply its Westlake Sport RS tyres for the team’s two 1,000 hp BMW M4s.

Munich marketing agency die agentour was the driving force behind the collaboration. The Red Bull Driftbrothers and ZC Rubber have a long-term cooperation that benefits both parties in many ways. Giving the team tyres will help with technical advancements based on driver Elias Hountondji's input, among other things. The collaboration will also help ZC Rubber spread the word about the Westlake brand throughout the European market. Demonstrating the products' and technologies' performance and quality in harsh environments is also a clear signal to the European OEM and replacement market.

This year's ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring marked the debut of the new collaboration. The Red Bull Driftbrothers created a stir among the record-breaking audience when they performed a display drift in their recently tyred BMW vehicles during the pre-race of the renowned race. The Westlake Sport RS tires were especially taxed by the high track temperatures.

Henry Shen, Deputy General Manager, Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber), said, “We’re proud to be the tyre partner of Red Bull Driftbrothers. Their trust in WESTLAKE, especially the performance of our SPORT RS on the demanding drift circuit, is a powerful endorsement. This partnership is built on a shared drive to push boundaries, and we’re excited to support their passion with our technology on the global stage.”

Elias Hountondji, driver and engineer of Red Bull Driftbrothers, said, “We are very excited about the partnership with Westlake Performance Tyres and ZC Rubber. Tyres are crucial for our sport. They have to withstand extreme abuse while providing a consistently high level of grip right to the end. The Westlake Sport RS is the perfect choice for this. It is extremely stable across the entire temperature range and the entire tread depth. Even with a very low tread pattern, you still have complete confidence as a driver.”

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German premium tyre manufacturer Continental Tires has inaugurated its fourth Continental Premium Drive (CPD) dealership in Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The new facility spans across 3,400 sqft and is equipped with tyre and vehicle care equipment to cater to the needs of premium and luxury vehicle owners. With this, Continental Tires has a robust network of 200 CPD brand stores across the country as part of its ‘In the market, for the market’ approach.

The CPD offers tyre puncture repair, tyre replacement, battery charging, AC & brake servicing, wheel alignment & balancing and nitrogen filling among other services.  

Samir Gupta, Managing Director – India and Head of Central Region Asia-Pacific, Continental Tires, said, "The opening of our new store in Thane reinforces our strategic focus on delivering excellence in safety, comfort, and performance. This expansion is a testament to our unwavering commitment to serving customers with best-in-class products and services. With several new CPD outlets in the pipeline, we are poised to accelerate our growth. Aligned with our ‘In the Market, For the Market’ approach, we are strengthening our retail network to better meet the evolving needs of customers across Maharashtra, and India at large."

Jawahar Diwan, Owner, Diwan Auto Care, said, "We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Continental Tires with the addition of another CPD store in the Thane district. With six service outlets serving customers across Mumbai, Thane, and Bhiwandi, we are equipped with state-of-the-art technology tailored for servicing premium and luxury vehicles, offering high-quality solutions to end-consumers.”

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